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    Home » Recipes » Cakes & Cupcakes

    Best Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Vanilla Marshmallow Meringue Frosting

    Published: Nov 19, 2020 · Modified: Aug 31, 2023 by Emily Laurae · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    These gorgeous, super moist Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Cupcakes are the definition of cozy fall vibes. Topped with toasted vanilla marshmallow meringue frosting, they have a sweet potato casserole meets pumpkin pie feel - and I’m all about it.

    Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Cupcakes
    Jump to:
    • ⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe 
    • 🍴Ingredients
    • ⚒️ Equipment
    • 📖 Step by Step Instructions
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips
    • 💭 Recipe FAQs
    • More Fall Recipes
    • Best Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Vanilla Marshmallow Meringue Frosting
    • 💬 Comments

    ⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

    When summer turns to fall, nothing gets me into a hygge spirit like sweet potato and pumpkin flavored everything like pumpkin affogatos, pumpkin sweet cream cold foam and a loaf of pumpkin bread! This delightfully easy recipe for eye-catching cupcakes combines my two orange-fleshed loves in the best possible way: cake!

    Flavored with warm spices like cinnamon, allspice and cardamom, these are unmistakably pumpkin spice cupcakes - but with a little twist. 

    Adding in sweet potato and topping with a simple, 3-ingredient frosting (that you torch for a toasted marshmallow flair!) gives these cupcakes a flavor that is reminiscent of my favorite Thanksgiving side.

    I highly recommend you make these stunning sweet potato and pumpkin cupcakes next time you get the itch to bake - they’ll have you wanting to cuddle up under a blanket with a mug of hot chocolate to watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving! 

    Sweet potato cupcake batter

    🍴Ingredients

    These pumpkin & sweet potato cupcakes are simply the best, in large part due to their ingredients. Here’s a little breakdown:

    • Butter & Oil - Using both butter and oil to make cakes is the best of all worlds; you get the light, lofty rise and even crumb of an oil cake plus the delicious flavor of butter. Be sure to use neutral tasting oil like grapeseed or vegetable oil; I don’t recommend using olive oil because the flavor is too pungent.
    • Sweet Potato & Pumpkin - Like I said, I have a love affair with both of these brightly hued fall favorites. If you’re in a pinch, you can easily go with all pumpkin or all sweet potato. Just make sure that you are using a well puréed base; nobody wants chunks of veggies in their cupcakes!
    • Baking Powder & Baking Soda - These leaveners act in different ways; be sure you’re using both.
    • Brown Sugar - I like the deep caramel flavor of dark brown sugar here, but light will do just fine. If you’re out, try making your own using molasses and granulated sugar.
    • Sour Cream - Packed with both fat and acid, sour cream is a magical addition to cake batter. The acid helps to tenderize the gluten strands and activate the baking soda, while the extra fat content lends a velvety mouthfeel to the cake. Feel free to use plain greek yogurt (preferably full fat) as an easy swap.

    The 3-ingredient vanilla marshmallow meringue frosting is also an utter revelation. All you need are:

    • Egg Whites - Make sure there are no yolks here. The fat will keep them from whipping up into their full fluffy potential.
    • Sugar - Granulated sugar (or superfine sugar) is the best option here! 
    • Vanilla Paste - I’m a sucker for the flecks of vanilla bean in my desserts, and vanilla paste is much cheaper than whole vanilla beans. You can also swap in vanilla extract, but you’ll lose a bit in the presentation.
    Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Cupcakes
    Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Cupcakes

    ⚒️ Equipment

    These pumpkin & sweet potato cupcakes with toasted marshmallow meringue frosting require a few specialty pieces of equipment. I highly recommend investing in:

    • A Cookie Scoop - Also known as a disher, these are instrumental in getting all the finger-licking good cake batter into the cupcake liners with minimal mess.
    • Piping Bags & Tips - Technically speaking, you can totally use a zip top bag with the corner cut off to pipe on your frosting. That said, investing in real piping bags and a few key tips will give your final cupcakes a polished, elevated look that is very hard to achieve without them.
    • A Kitchen Torch - This might sound like an extravagant expenditure, but torches come in very handy in the kitchen. You can also snag one for about $15!
    Sweet potato cupcake batter

    📖 Step by Step Instructions

    Prep

    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 2 liners – this recipe makes about 14 cupcakes. Set aside for the time being. 

    Make Cake Batter

    Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and allspice) in a medium bowl and set aside.

    Add the brown sugar, butter and olive oil to the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Working with one ingredient at a time, add the room temperature egg, pumpkin purée, sweet potato purée and sour cream. 

    Make sure to scrape the bowl between additions to ensure everything is well mixed.

    Add the dry ingredients in two parts, mixing until just combined.

    Bake

    Using a spoon or a small cookie scoop, add batter into each cupcake liner until it is halfway full. Bake the cupcakes until golden and puffed, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean - this should take about 16 minutes. 

    Make Meringue Icing

    Add your sugar and egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and place over a saucepan of boiling water. Whisk to dissolve the sugar into the egg whites. If using a thermometer you should reach 165 degrees F. 

    Make sure that your bowl is not touching the hot water! Your goal is to simply whisk the egg whites and sugar together over a gentle heat until the sugar has completely dissolved, then attach your bowl back to the standing mixer. 

    Whisk mixture starting at a low speed and gradually increase until soft peaks form and the mixture has completely cooled. Add vanilla, and mix on low until combined. 

    Assemble

    Allow cupcakes to cool completely before icing. Pipe meringue on top of the pumpkin spice cupcakes and then use your torch to lightly brown the meringue. Enjoy!

    Looking to create delicious and homemade garnishes to elevate your creations? Try adding Sugared Flowers, Candied Rose Petals, Dried Orange Slices or Sugared berries!

    Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Cupcakes

    👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips

    Making these fall-themed pumpkin & sweet potato cupcakes is pretty straightforward. That said, I have a lot of baking experience under this apron, so I’ll share the best tips I’ve learned along the way:

    • Use a scale. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - baking is SCIENCE. The more accurate you are with your measurements, the better (and more consistent) your results will be.
    • Use a thermometer for the egg whites, and an oven thermometer. Ensuring the egg whites reach 165F is important for food safety, and ovens are finicky.
    • The egg should be room temp for cake batter. Room temp eggs will incorporate into batter more easily, which will prevent you from over mixing. Which reminds me,
    • Don’t over mix the batter. Once the batter is uniform in appearance, stop. If you keep mixing, you’ll end up with a rubbery, tough cake, and nobody wants that.
    • Make sure your mixing bowl and beaters are super clean for making meringue. Fat is Enemy #1 of light, fluffy egg white meringue. If you’re using the same mixing bowl/beaters for both the meringue frosting and the cupcake batter, I’d recommend making the meringue first.

    💭 Recipe FAQs

    What if I don’t have cardamom or allspice?

    Feel free to swap out the cinnamon, cardamom and allspice for an equivalent measure of pumpkin pie spice.

    Can I make these without dairy?

    Absolutely! Simply use your favorite plant-based butter and sour cream/greek yogurt substitute instead.

    Can I make them gluten-free?

    Gluten-free baking is a tricky science, and one that I’m not as familiar with. Reason leads me to believe that a cup-for-cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend *should* work here, but I haven’t tried it myself. If you do try, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below!!

    How do I achieve the perfect consistency for the sweet potato cake batter?

    In a large bowl, mix sweet potato puree, wet ingredients, and the sweet potato mixture. Gradually whisk flour and remaining flour mixture on medium-high speed using the whisk attachment on an electric mixer until well combined - overmixing will lead to a tough texture so mix lightly!

    What's the secret to getting glossy peaks for the marshmallow frosting in the sweet potato cupcake recipe with purchased marshmallows?

    Using a double boiler, melt mini marshmallows with corn syrup, then transfer to a heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, ensuring a glossy marshmallow fluff perfect for piping with a piping bag.

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    If you try the recipe for these Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Cupcakes, please leave a 🌟 review and share your creation with me on social media! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest - for more delicious recipes sent straight to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter! 📧 

    Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Cupcakes

    Best Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Vanilla Marshmallow Meringue Frosting

    These gorgeous, super moist Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes are the definition of cozy fall vibes. Topped with toasted vanilla marshmallow meringue frosting, they have a sweet potato casserole meets pumpkin pie feel - and I’m all about it.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 16 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 1 minute minute
    Servings: 12 Cupcakes
    Calories: 301kcal
    Author: Emily Laurae

    Equipment

    • Stand Mixer with Paddle and Whisk Attachment
    • Spatula
    • Bowl
    • Whisk
    • Spoon or Cookie Scoop
    • Cupcake Pan
    • Cupcake Liners
    • Piping Bag & Tip
    • Cooling Rack
    • Small Blow Torch

    Ingredients
     

    Vanilla Bean Meringue 

    • 3 Egg Whites
    • 1 Cup (200 g) Sugar
    • 1 Scraped Vanilla Bean , or 2 teaspoon Vanilla Paste

    Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Cupcakes 

    • 1 ½ Cups (187 g) All-Purpose Flour
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
    • ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
    • ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
    • 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon Ground Cardamom
    • ¼ teaspoon Ground Allspice
    • 1 cup (220 g) Brown Sugar, packed
    • ¼ Cup (57 g) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
    • ¼ Cup (56 g) Grapeseed or Canola Oil
    • 1 Large Egg, room temperature
    • ½ Cup (125 g) Pumpkin Puree
    • ½ Cup (140 g) Sweet Potato Puree, Baked or roasted sweet potato, blended until smooth
    • ¼ Cup (60 g) Sour Cream

    Instructions

    Vanilla Bean Meringue 

    • Add your sugar and egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and place over a saucepan of boiling water. Make sure that your bowl is not touching the hot water! Your goal is to simply whisk the egg whites and sugar together over a gentle heat until the sugar has completely dissolved, then attach your bowl back to the standing mixer. If using a thermometer you should reach 165 degrees F. 
      3 Egg Whites, 1 Cup Sugar
    • Whisk mixture starting at a low speed and gradually increase until soft peaks form and the mixture has completely cooled. 
    • Add vanilla, and mix on low until combined.  
      1 Scraped Vanilla Bean

    Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Cupcakes

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 2 liners – this recipe makes about 14 cupcakes. Set aside for the time being. 
    • Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom and allspice in a medium bowl and set aside.
      1 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour, 1 teaspoon Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon Baking Soda, ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt, 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon Ground Cardamom, ¼ teaspoon Ground Allspice
    • Add the brown sugar, butter, and olive oil to the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the room temperature egg, pumpkin puree, sweet potato puree, and sour cream one at a time. Make sure to scrape the bowl in between additions to ensure everything is well mixed.
      1 cup Brown Sugar, ¼ Cup Unsalted Butter, ¼ Cup Grapeseed or Canola Oil, 1 Large Egg, ½ Cup Pumpkin Puree, ½ Cup Sweet Potato Puree, ¼ Cup Sour Cream
    • Add the dry ingredients in two parts, mixing until just combined. 
    • Using a spoon or a small cookie scoop, add batter into each cupcake liner until it is halfway full. Bake the cupcakes until golden and puffed, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean which should be about 16 minutes. 
    • Allow cupcakes to cool completely before piping meringue on top of the cupcakes and then using a torch, lightly brown the meringue before enjoying! 

    Notes

    Frequently Asked Questions
    • What if I don’t have cardamom or allspice? Feel free to swap out the cinnamon, cardamom and allspice for an equivalent measure of pumpkin pie spice. 
    • Can I make these without dairy? Absolutely! Simply use your favorite plant-based butter and sour cream/greek yogurt substitute instead.
    • Can I make them gluten-free? Gluten-free baking is a tricky science and one that I’m not as familiar with. Reason leads me to believe that a cup-for-cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend *should* work here, but I haven’t tried it myself. If you do try, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below!!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 162mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 4000IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg
    Enjoyed this recipe?Mention @emilylaurae or tag #emilylaurae!

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    About Emily Laurae

    Emily is the recipe developer, writer, and food photographer behind Emily Laurae. After finishing Pastry School and working as a chef in the restaurant industry, she created this blog to share those skills with home bakers and creators all over the world!

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    HELLO MY FRIENDS, I'M EMILY!

    Welcome to my blog, where I'm sharing a collection of my favorite recipes, tips and tricks for you to create and enjoy in your home kitchen! I'm a professionally trained pastry chef, recipe developer and food photographer currently living in Los Angeles - looking forward to baking with you!

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